A Shield of Her Own
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Baylee's one wish was to meet The Shield. When the men fulfill her wish, Baylee gets more than what she wished for as she becomes friends with the WWE Superstars and they help her through some difficult times.
1. Chapter 1

A Shield of Her Own

Chapter 1: Wish Come True

A/N: Man, these plot bunnies are really biting at me, aren't they? Here's yet another one that just came to me featuring The Shield again. I just love those guys, and this little story just seemed to jump out at me and had to be written. I hope that you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: WWE and all related characters are property of Vince McMahon. I only own the plot, Baylee Callaghan, and anyone else not associated with WWE.

Summary: Baylee's one wish was to meet The Shield. When the men fulfill her wish, Baylee gets more than what she wished for as she becomes friends with the WWE Superstars and they help her through some difficult times.

Baylee Callaghan sighed as she lay back on her bed. She had just gotten done with some chemo, and it had exhausted her. Baylee had been diagnosed with a form of leukemia when she was three years old, and the doctors had been fearful that she wouldn't survive. But thanks to a lot of treatment, Baylee had prevailed and had been put in remission when she was four. Her parents, Brittany and Brian, thought that maybe that was the end of it until the cancer came back a few months ago. Doctors were again fearful, but they decided to try a new chemo treatment that had been successful in other patients.

During her time with cancer, Baylee had been a fan of WWE wrestling and had watched it religiously. Her favorite group had been The Shield as she had become intrigued by the men and how they operated. Many of her fellow patients never understood why she liked the trio, but she did because she wanted to be different. Her other fellow patients often liked the good guys like John Cena or Dolph Ziggler, but Baylee didn't have patience for that. Sure, she thought they were nice guys, but The Shield was different. They intrigued her, and it was shortly after she became a fan of them that she began calling them Her Shield.

When Seth had betrayed his brothers, Baylee had cried. How could that have happened? They were supposed to be together forever. She remembered talking to her dad on the phone and crying to him about how The Shield had just been broken up.

Brian, who was in the military and had been stationed in Afghanistan, had been sympathetic. "That happens all of the time in wrestling, honey," he said. "Groups don't last that long."

"But that's not fair!" she sobbed. "How could Seth do that to his brothers?"

"I'm sure he had his reasons, sweetie," Brian soothed. "Maybe this is all a ploy and they'll get back together."

Baylee tried to see it from her father's perspective, but as months went by and the faction she loved continued to stay divided, she had her doubts about Seth's motives. It just didn't seem right to her that they should be broken up.

Brittany came over to her daughter and smiled at her. "Honey, the Make-A-Wish foundation called," she said. "They want to grant you a special wish. Is there anything you'd like to ask for?"

Baylee thought about it. Of course, the first thing would be for her cancer to go away, but the foundation couldn't really do that. Then she thought of another week when John Cena had visited one of her fellow cancer patients because he'd asked for it as his wish. Maybe they could make her wish come true, too.

"Mommy, I want to meet The Shield and for them to get back together," she said.

"Oh, well, I think that could be arranged," she said. "I'll call them and ask."

Baylee smiled. She was happy that her wish was going to come true, and maybe if it did, things would work out for her in the end. Maybe Her Shield could help her get rid of the cancer that was in her body. Yes, they could do anything they set their mind to, and she just hoped that they would grant her request.

22222

Roman Reigns had just entered the arena when Stephanie McMahon asked for him to come see her in her office. Curious, Roman did as the woman asked and wondered if she was going to go over what was going to happen in the upcoming storyline. He was surprised to see that Dean Ambrose was there too. Were they going to have to feud together?

"Roman, I called you guys in here because the Make-A-Wish foundation called," she began. "A little girl named Baylee Callaghan has a wish to meet The Shield."

Roman was a bit surprised. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Stephanie nodded. "Yep. Apparently she's a huge fan of you guys and really was upset when the group was broken up. Her wish is to meet all three of you."

"Do you think Seth would be cleared to do it?" Roman asked her.

"Yeah, I talked to him and he's definitely up for it," she answered. "Baylee lives in Chicago and is having chemo treatments at The University of Chicago. Since we're going to have a show there, I thought it would be a good idea for the three of you to go see Baylee as The Shield."

Dean's face lit up. "That's awesome," he said. "I'm totally down for it."

"So am I," Roman said. "I can't wait to see the look on that little girl's face when we see her."

"Great. Then it's settled. I'll set it up with the hospital."

Roman and Dean left together, feeling happy. They had wanted to reunite as The Shield for some time, but the time was never right for it as WWE wanted them to branch out in their careers on their own. It had been hard to let go of the group, but even though they weren't together on the show, they still made it a point to keep in touch and remain friends outside of the ring. After Seth got injured, Dean and Roman had been the first to visit him after his surgery and to make sure he was okay. Seth had done the same for Roman after his emergency hernia surgery, and it had made Roman feel good to see Seth there.

Roman's phone rang and he smiled as he looked at the caller ID. "Speak of the devil," he said as he answered it. "Hey, Seth, what's up?"

"Hey, did Stephanie tell you what she wanted us to do?" he asked.

"Yep, we just got the rundown and we're excited to do it," Roman answered.

"That girl is gonna be so excited when she sees us come into that room," Seth said. "I can't wait to see her smile."

"Yeah, same here," Roman answered. "Well, we gotta go get ready for the show. We'll talk to you later, Seth."

"Talk to you soon," Seth said.

"You be careful, Rollins, and don't mess up that knee," Dean joked.

"I won't, and I'll give Kevin some hugs from you guys."

"You spoil that dog too much," Roman joked. "Talk to you soon."

After he hung up from Seth, Roman parted ways with Dean to get ready for the show. He was excited for what was going to happen, and he hoped that the little girl would be happy when she saw her favorite wrestlers.

22222

For the next few days, Baylee was in a state of elation. Her mother had just told her that Make-A-Wish had granted her request, and that The Shield would be coming to visit her on Sunday. Baylee was so happy, and she couldn't' help bragging to her fellow patients about what was going to happen to her.

Cassie Strong rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you want The Shield to get back together," she said. "They were horrible. Why couldn't you just ask John Cena to visit you?"

"Because John visits everyone, and I wanted someone different," Baylee answered. "And The Shield isn't horrible. I love them."

Cassie said no more on the subject, but it was clear she wasn't a fan of the group and never had been.

Before she knew it, Sunday had arrived, and Baylee was on pins and needles to see her favorite wrestlers. The hospital was buzzing about it and even a few of the local news stations had caught wind of the story and had interviewed Baylee about her wish. Baylee loved the attention and was glad to share her story of her wish and what she hoped it would entail.

Brittany smiled as she came into the room followed by a group Baylee knew very well.

"Baylee, I think there are some gentlemen who want to see you," she said and parted for Baylee to see The Shield. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose smiled and came over to her dressed in their signature SWAT gear. Seth had a cast on his right leg and was on crutches, so he took his time coming over to her bed. Although he was technically the bad guy now, Baylee was heartbroken to see Seth on crutches.

"Hey, Baylee," Roman said. "We heard you wanted to see us."

Baylee nodded. "Yes, you three are my favorite wrestlers," she answered. "I'm so glad you came!"

"So are we," Dean said with a smile. "How are you feeling, darling?"

"I'm getting better even though I get tired," she replied. "They don't know if this chemo will work, but they hope that it will. I can't wait to tell my daddy that I saw you."

"Where is your daddy?" Seth asked her.

"He's in the military and is stationed in Afghanistan," she told him. "He got me into wrestling when I was born."

"Well, I'm sorry you don't get to see your dad, but we're very thankful for his service," Roman said. "Now, are there any questions you have for us?"

Baylee sat up and looked at Seth. "Yes, I do," she said. "Seth, why did you break up The Shield? You guys were so awesome together. How could you betray your brothers?"

Seth gave her a kind look and perched on the edge of her bed, stretching his right leg out. "Baylee, you know wrestling is pretend, right?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah, Daddy told me that, but it still hurt to see you turn on them."

"Well, it wasn't my choice," he said. "It was Creative's decision to split us up. In WWE, sometimes, wrestlers have to branch out, and they figured that we had to go our own ways and grow on our own as individuals often do. So we went with the idea even though we didn't want to because we were having fun. But I want you to know that even though we aren't The Shield in the ring anymore, we are still The Shield outside of it. We still spend time together and talk to each other all of the time. We even still share hotel rooms together. I'm sorry it hurt you to see us split up, but I want you to know that it's not real, okay? I still love these guys, and we're still brothers forever."

Baylee seemed satisfied with Seth's answer. "Okay, I can understand that. But do you think that maybe you could come back together when you get better?"

"I don't know, sweetie," Seth answered. "We'll have to see what Creative has in store for us when I get back. But I'll definitely make sure to bring the subject up."

"Good. I love you guys."

"And we love you," Roman said. "You want a picture with us?"

"Yeah," Baylee said.

They gathered around her bed and touched their fists to hers in the typical Shield pose as a nurse took the picture. Then Brittany came over and said that Baylee's dad wanted to talk to her.

Baylee's eyes lit up as her mother handed her the tablet where her dad's smiling face was staring at her. "Hi, Daddy," she said.

"Hi, Pumpkin," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," she answered. "But guess what? The Shield is here to visit me. My wish came true."

Brian smiled. "I'm glad to hear that," he said.

"You wanna say hi?" Baylee asked him.

"Sure," he answered.

Baylee motioned for Seth, Roman, and Dean to come close so they could say hello to her dad. They waved at him and said hello.

"Hi, guys," Brian said. "I'm a huge fan, and so is Baylee. Thanks so much for coming to the hospital and bringing a smile to my little girl's face."

Roman smiled. "It was our pleasure," he said. "And thank you for your service to our country. We're so proud of what you're doing over there."

"Thank you," Brian said. "Hopefully, this will be my last tour, and I'll be home in a few months. I can't wait to see my baby girl again."

"I can't wait to see you, too, Daddy," Baylee said. "I miss you every day."

"I miss you too," said Brian. "Well, I better get off here. The boys and I are going on a patrol. Thanks for visiting her, boys. Honey, I have to go now. I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"Love you, too, Daddy," replied Baylee. "Stay safe." She blew him a kiss and he blew her one back before the signal was cut off. She smiled as she turned to The Shield. "My daddy is very brave."

"Yes, he is," Seth agreed. "And we're happy that he chose to protect the country, but I'm sure he'll be home soon."

"I know he will," Baylee said. "Daddy always keeps his promises."

The WWE Superstars spent a little more time with Baylee until it was time for them to go. Baylee didn't want them to leave, but they promised her that they would keep in touch and promised her that she would one day get to attend one of the shows and see them live. Baylee was fine with that and gave each of them a hug and a kiss before they left.

Brittany thanked them and watched them leave. "Wasn't that nice?" she asked her daughter.

Baylee nodded. "Yeah, my wish came true, and I hope that my other wish of Daddy coming home will come true, too."

"I'm sure it will, sweetie," she said. "Now, you had better get some rest so you can keep up your strength."

Baylee nodded and kissed her mother on the cheek. Then she lay back on her bed and sighed with happiness. Her favorite group had come to see her, and maybe soon her daddy would come home too. With a last smile Baylee fell asleep never dreaming that her life was going to change in a way she never expected.

A/N: So that's the end of the first chapter. I really hope you like it and where I'm going with it. I really like writing Baylee and how she loves The Shield. That will become a key point to this story as it progresses. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Fallen Soldier

A/N: So here's the second chapter in this little tale. Sorry it took so long, but I did have other stories to work on, and I'm flopping between all of these different ones, so that's why it took me so long to do it. I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Disclaimer: WWE and all related characters belong to Vince McMahon. I only own the plot, Baylee, her mother, and any other characters not associated with WWE.

Brittany left the hospital, feeling really happy. She was so glad WWE had granted Baylee's wish and had allowed The Shield to come visit her. Baylee had looked so happy, and it had warmed Brittany's heart to see her daughter smile, especially when she talked to her father. Brittany hated to leave her daughter, but she had to for certain periods of time just to get a break from the hospital which sometimes felt stifling. She had promised to visit again tomorrow, and Baylee had accepted that. She had thanked the wrestlers for coming and thanked them for making Baylee so happy, and they responded that they had been happy to do it.

Brittany had never really understood wrestling as a whole. She knew her husband and daughter liked it, and while she watched it with them whenever she could, she still didn't understand the inner workings of it. But after meeting Seth, Roman, and Dean, she knew there was more to them than the feuds on TV and that they really did care about other people. That warmed her heart, and she hoped that many others would see what they were doing and realize that this was how they really were. So many dismissed wrestling as not being a real sport, but these wrestlers not only trained as hard as any other athlete did, but they took the time to make children who were ill happy by meeting with them and talking to them. Nothing could be better than that.

The phone rang, and Brittany picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Brit, it's me," Brittany's mother said. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," she answered.

"I saw the news story about Baylee," her mother said. "That was so nice for WWE to do that for her."

"Yes, those men really are very nice," Brittany praised. "They took time out of their busy schedules to visit Baylee, and she was so happy to see them."

"Oh, I'm sure she was," Brittany's mother laughed. "I remember her looking sad, and when I asked her why, she said it was because The Shield had broken up. I didn't know what she was talking about until she showed me a picture of them and then I knew who they were. She was so sad that day."

"Well, now she has her wish," Brittany replied. "I just hope she won't be disappointed when they don't reunite on TV."

"You never know what WWE will do," her mother answered. "Maybe they will reunite when Seth gets better."

Brittany shook her head at her mother's optimism. "Only time will tell what will happen next," she said.

"Well, I have to go. I just wanted to tell you I saw the news story and to see how you and Baylee were."

"We're doing as fine as can be expected. They think she'll be able to go home after this next round of chemo is done."

"That'll be a relief to her I'm sure."

"Yes, it will."

"Well, I'll talk to you later, honey. Give Baylee my best when you see her again."

"I will. Goodbye, Mom."

"Goodbye, Brit."

After her mother hung up, Brittany put her phone away and drove up to the house she and Brian had gotten after they'd been married. It was a nice house, and Brittany was happy that she was able to live here. After Brian joined the military, Brittany and Baylee had opted to stay in Chicago due to Baylee's illness since she was getting the best care possible while Brian went to boot camp and then was transferred to Fort Hood in Texas. It had been hard to see him go, but she was proud of her husband for what he was doing for the country. Now he was in Afghanistan again doing what he had to do, but it was hard. She hoped he would come home soon.

She entered the house and turned on the television while she made dinner for herself. The news was showing the story about Baylee and how the WWE had granted her wish to see The Shield once again. She knew many would be touched by the story though others would probably be indifferent about it. She ate her dinner and continued watching the news, shaking her head at a story about a mother who had left her baby in a Dumpster. Why were parents so cruel to their children? Why couldn't they see how precious kids really were? Sometimes people didn't appreciate the good things in life, and that was sad.

After she finished dinner, she washed her dishes and continued watching television until it was time for bed. As she did every night, she kissed the picture of Brian she had on her nightstand next to the bed. It was a picture of him shortly after he'd joined the Army.

"I love you, baby," she whispered. "Come home soon."

22222

The next morning, Brittany woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing. It was seven in the morning, but she couldn't think of why anyone would be coming to her door this early. She hurriedly put on a robe and ran downstairs to answer the door.

On her doorstep were two men she recognized from the military. They were from the base in Texas where Brian had been stationed, and a wave of dread filled her as she knew why they were there.

"Brittany Callaghan?" one man asked.

"Yes," she said.

"We regret to inform you that your husband was killed yesterday," he continued. "He was on patrol with his unit when he struck a land mine and was killed instantly, along with several others who were in the line of fire."

A chill struck Brittany's heart, and all she wanted to do was shake her head. Brian couldn't be dead. This was a joke, right? As she looked at the two men's solemn faces, she knew that they weren't joking. Brian was really and truly gone.

They started talking about when the body would be shipped to the United States and how she had to make funeral arrangements. She listened to it all, but she couldn't comprehend it. Things like this didn't happen to them. Brian was supposed to come home! He was supposed to be there for Baylee.

Baylee. This would tear her apart when she found out, but Brittany knew she couldn't keep it from her daughter. She had to be told.

"We're sorry for your loss," the first man said. "Your husband was a great soldier and did good work serving this country. We're very proud of him."

"Thank you," she said. "I have to go visit my daughter, but I'll make the funeral arrangements as soon as I can."

The men left, and Brittany started crying as she got ready to tell her daughter that her father wouldn't be coming home for her. He would never call her again to tell her he loved her. He would never sit and watch wrestling with her or comb her hair when it grew back. He would never kiss them goodnight before they went to sleep and tell both Brittany and Baylee that he loved them.

He was gone forever.

22222

Baylee was still very happy the next day. She was chattering on to her fellow patients about her visit with The Shield and how they were so nice to her. "They're going to reunite again," she said.

"Did they tell you that?" Cassie asked her.

"No, but I know they will," she answered. "That was one of my wishes, so I know WWE will grant it."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "No, they won't!" she scoffed. "They let you see them because that was what you wanted, but they aren't going to reunite The Shield just because you wished for it. They can't go around doing that. You still should have picked John Cena as your wish. He's so much better than The Shield."

"There's nothing wrong with The Shield!" Baylee snapped.

"Yes, there is," Cassie retorted. "Seth's a jerk, Dean acts like he's drunk or insane half the time, and Roman's horrible on the mic. Remember that stupid segment where he told that fairy tale to Big Show? It was awful."

"Yeah, but that wasn't his fault," Baylee replied. "He just did what they asked him to do. He's gotten a lot better since then, and now he's champion."

"And that's the worst part," Cassie said. "He's only champion because the fans feel sorry for him. It's just like it was with Daniel Bryan. He wasn't champion material, yet they stuck the belt on him because the fans felt sorry for him. And then he got injured and had to give the belt up. Roman's not a believable champion at all. He just doesn't have what it takes."

"Yes, he does!" Baylee countered. "Roman is a fine champion, and I think he'll do a good job with the belt. You just don't like him because you don't want to give him a chance."

"I don't like him because he's just not good," Cassie replied.

"Yeah, I think Brock Lesnar is better than him," a boy named Josh said.

Baylee rolled her eyes. "Yeah right," she scoffed. "Brock Lesnar is horrible, and he shouldn't even be in the company if he doesn't want to defend the belt once a month. I hated him as champion, and they better not give the belt to him again. I just wish he would go away."

Josh was about to retort when he was interrupted by Brittany's arrival. As Baylee looked at her mother, she saw that her face was stricken.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" she asked.

Brittany knelt down and looked Baylee in the eyes. "Honey, some men came to visit me today. They said that Daddy was in an accident."

Baylee turned pale. "Is he okay?" she asked.

Tears filled her mother's eyes as she shook her head. "No, sweetie, your daddy has gone to heaven," she said.

The shock of what her mother was saying filled Baylee. Daddy wasn't coming home. Daddy wasn't going to watch wrestling with her again or play games with her or sing to her at night. Daddy had gone to heaven and had left her alone. How could he have done that? How could he have left her?

Cassie, who had heard the conversation, asked, "How did he die?"

Baylee shot her a mean look as though she had no business asking such a question.

"He stepped on a land mine while out on patrol," Brittany answered. "He was killed instantly."

"Whoa," Cassie said softly. "That sucks."

Baylee bristled. "What do you care?" she snapped. "Do you think you're better than me because you have a daddy and now I don't? Are you glad that my daddy's gone?"

Cassie looked shocked. "No, of course not!" she said. "I'm really sorry your daddy's gone. I wish it hadn't happened."

"What are we gonna do, Mommy?" asked Baylee.

"Well, they're going to ship your daddy's body back and we'll have to make funeral arrangements," replied Brittany. "And after that, we'll just have to move on the best we can."

"But why?" asked Baylee. "How can we move on now that Daddy's gone?"

"It's what your father would want," answered Brittany.

"No, he wouldn't," protested Baylee. "He would want to be with us and not away from us. He would want to be here to watch wrestling with me and tuck me in and tell me everything's gonna be okay just like he used to. He didn't want to go to heaven yet. He once told me that he didn't want to die until he was old and wrinkled. But now he's gone, and he didn't ask to go."

"Baylee, when God asks you to go, it's your time," she said gently. "No, he didn't want to go, but he had to because God called him home."

"Why would God want that?" Baylee asked her. "Why would God take him away from us when we need him the most? Doesn't God see that I need my daddy? Doesn't He know that my daddy is a great man and deserves to live with us?"

"Yes, I'm sure God knows that, but He wanted your daddy with him," she said gently.

Anger coursed through Baylee. "Well, I hate God!" she snapped. "I hate God, and I'm never going to pray to Him again 'cause he took my daddy away!"

A shocked look crossed Brittany's face. "Honey, you shouldn't say such things," she rebuked. "God loves you, and you should love God."

"No, He doesn't," countered Baylee. "He hates me and took my daddy away. God is a mean man and a bad man, and I'll never pray to Him again for anything. He's no better than the devil if He wants to take away people like that when they need to live with their families. Who is God to tell anyone when they can live or die? I haven't died yet, but God took Daddy away because He's selfish. He'd rather see me suffer and be in pain. I have cancer, and I need my daddy to take care of me and love me, but God chose to take Daddy away. He doesn't care about me or how I suffer. It's all a lie, Mommy. God doesn't love anybody!"

Brittany put on a stern face. "Baylee Adele Callaghan, don't you EVER say anything like that again!" she chastised. "God didn't want to take Daddy away, but He knew that if he let Daddy live, Daddy would have suffered. He died instantly, and God granted him the mercy to be able to die like that. God is not selfish and mean. God is good. God loves all of us, and He loves you the most."

"No, He doesn't, Mommy," she replied. "I don't care what you say, but I don't believe that at all. God doesn't love me or you or anyone else. He hates all of us and is just doing this because He wants to. Well, that's fine because I'm never going back to church. I'm never praying to God again after what He did, and that's final!"

Brittany opened her mouth to reprimand the young girl, but a nurse laid a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn to face her.

"Don't yell at her," she said gently. "The poor girl's just upset. She doesn't mean those things. Let her grieve."

Brittany immediately started sobbing and held onto her daughter as though she was the last life raft on a churning sea. Things wouldn't ever be the same again without Brian, but they had to make do the best they could. She kept on sobbing and stroking her daughter's hair and wondered why this had happened to them.

22222

Seth Rollins sighed as he called up the Internet at home. His dog, Kevin, was at his feet, begging for Seth to play with him, but Seth had no time for that now. He wanted to check his Twitter account and see if anyone had sent him any messages. As Yahoo loaded, Seth looked at some of the stories and one caught his eye about a soldier being killed in a land mine attack. He saw stories like this every day, but as he looked at the man's face, he realized that he recognized the man instantly. It was Baylee's father.

Seth clicked on the story and started reading about how Brian's group had been patrolling and how he'd stepped on a land mind concealed in the ground, killing him and several others instantly. Seth's heart broke as he read the story and as he thought of the sweet little girl he and his brothers had visited. Now she had no father to tuck her in at night or to tell her that everything was going to be okay. She had only her mother, and though that was a good thing, it still was going to hurt her because of how close she was to her father. And what hurt Seth the most was that it had happened shortly after their visit to Baylee in the hospital right after they had talked to him and thanked him for his service.

Seth wanted to call Roman and Dean to tell them about this. They needed to know what had happened. Just as he grabbed his phone, it rang.

"Hello?" he said.

"Seth, it's me," Roman said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," Seth answered. "I just saw the story about Baylee's dad. Did you see it?"

"No, Dean and I were just calling to check in," Roman replied. "What happened?"

"Her dad was killed while they were on their mission," Seth answered. "He stepped on a land mine, and it killed him instantly."

"Dude, that sucks," said Dean sadly. "I bet Baylee's really upset."

"Yeah, I know," said Seth. "I think we should pay our respects at both the wake and the funeral since we visited her in the hospital. It only seems fair."

"I'm sure WWE would let us do that," said Roman. "We'll check and get back to you as soon as we can. We only called for a short chat because Dean and I have to get ready for the show."

A pang filled Seth at Roman's words. He really missed being in the ring right now. "Have fun and kick some ass," he said cheerfully.

"You know we will," Dean said. "We'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay," Seth said. He hung up and sighed. None of this was fair right now. He should be out there entertaining the crowds instead of being holed up in Davenport with an injury. Life sure did suck sometimes. He checked his Twitter and after that was done he played with Kevin because the dog was driving him nuts with his incessant whining. And as he took Kevin out to do his business, he suddenly had a great idea. It was an idea that he knew would make Baylee happy again, but it was also an idea that would make him happy, too. He only hoped that Roman and Dean would be up for it.

22222

The funeral parlor smelled like a flower shop as Baylee followed her mother inside. The casket where her father's body rested was lying there on a raised platform of sorts. There would be no official viewing because of how badly he'd been burned in the blast, and that made Baylee feel horrible that she wouldn't get to see Daddy's face one last time. On a bulletin board were pictures of Daddy from all sorts of things like when he was little and even some from his high school days. There were pictures of Baylee and her father and pictures of him with some of his military friends, some of whom had been killed in the same blast. Baylee's eyes filled with tears as she looked at those pictures. It just wasn't fair for Daddy to be gone.

Throughout the day, mourners came and went, offering condolences to Baylee and her mother. Baylee thanked them, but she hated how they kept saying that Daddy was in a better place. He had a good place with them, and nothing could be better than that. Most of them were relatives as well as friends and other military personnel. But Baylee's eyes lit up when she saw three familiar men enter the parlor.

"Mommy, My Shield came!" Baylee yelled, and she ran over to give the three WWE Superstars big hugs. She hugged Roman first, and he held her and stroked her back.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Baby Girl," he said gently. "Your daddy was a brave man, and he gave his life for our country just as he wanted to."

"Thank you, Mr. Reigns," she said as she hugged him back. Then she hugged Dean who picked her up and twirled her around, causing her to laugh. Some of the mourners looked in her direction with displeased looks on their faces at Baylee's jubilation, but she didn't care.

"I know it hurts now, Sweet Pea, but with time, you'll come back from this," Dean assured her. "You're a tough girl."

"Thank you, Mr. Ambrose," she said.

Seth limped over last, and she gave him a gentle hug. "I really am sorry for your loss, Baylee. It's never easy to lose someone you love, but you know you can talk to us if you want to and if your mom will let you."

"I'd like that, Mr. Rollins," Baylee said. "Can I do that, Mommy?"

"As long as it's okay with them," said her mother.

They gave Baylee their Twitter names and e-mail addresses and promised her they'd get back to her as soon as they could. Then they went to stand in front of the casket to pay their respects. Baylee went with them and stayed quiet while they observed a moment of silence for her father. Then she introduced them to her relatives.

"Grandpa, this is My Shield," she said as she introduced them to an elderly man who was Brian's father.

"It's nice to meet you boys," Mr. Callaghan said. "My Baylee would often talk of you and how much she liked you. Such a shame they broke you up so soon. How's the leg, Seth?"

"It's getting better," Seth replied. "I still have a bit to go before I can be cleared though."

"Such a shame," Baylee's grandpa said. "But you keep on going like you should. And congrats to you two on your titles. They look mighty nice around your waists."

"Thank you, sir," Roman said. "Do you like wrestling, too?"

"Yeah, I've always been a fan," he answered. "I'm the reason Brian got into it, and I was mighty happy when he brought Baylee into it, too. So nice to watch the events together like we used to. Now it won't be the same, but I'm proud of my boy. He fought for his country the way he wanted to and he died a hero. Not much better than that, I say. I really do like you Shield boys though. You had guts and didn't take anything from anybody. Such a shame they broke you up. Waste of potential if you ask me."

"But they're champions now, Grandpa," Baylee reminded him.

"Yeah, but we all know it won't last long," he said. "They'll have them for a spell and then lose them. And after that, then what? They'll go back to fighting for the title and maybe being forgotten if the company has no faith in them. And look at Seth over there. He's injured, and by the time he gets back to where he'll be back in the ring, he'll have to work his way back up the ladder. You can bet they won't give him a title right away when he gets back. No sir, that's not how it works these days. Such a shame. Such a damn shame."

"But the Shield could get back together, right?" Baylee asked.

"That depends on if the company wants them back together. And they'd have to give a damn good reason for it, too. I know fans want to see them back and so do you, Sweetie Pie, but if the company doesn't see it as a good idea, then it won't happen. That's the way it works in wrestling. It was nice meeting you boys. Thanks for making Baylee's life better with your visit. It made her day."

"I'm glad we could help," Roman said with a smile. They moved on to meet some other relatives until it was time for them to go. Baylee was sad to see them go, but they promised her they'd see her again at the service and burial. She hugged them and thanked them for coming as did her mother. Then she watched them go and wished that maybe they'd get back together again as a team.

22222

The next day dawned bright and sunny, very different from how Seth pictured a funeral day to be. He followed Roman and Dean into the church where the service was going to be held. They found seats not far from Baylee, and she turned and waved to them. Seth waved back and put his finger to his lips to remind her to be quiet during church. The casket was brought in and kind words were said about Brian. His father got up and gave a very touching eulogy about how Brian was a sweet boy and how he was a brave hero who fought for the country he loved. He talked about how Brian loved wrestling and how that love had been carried over to Baylee. How Baylee's diagnosis had been heartbreaking for Brian and Brittany but how Brian had held on to the faith that everything would turn out right. He even mentioned The Shield and how they had made Baylee's day and Brian's day as well. He finished up by saying that it wasn't going to be the same without Brian, but the memories would last and that was the most important thing.

Other family members said kind words, and even Baylee said a few words about how she loved her daddy and how she would miss him. She thanked Her Shield for being there and knew that they'd always protect her no matter what.

The procession filed out to the cemetery where Brian was being laid to rest. Baylee was arguing with her mother about something and Seth noticed Brittany motioning for them to come to the front where they were. Seth and the others did so and stood right next to Baylee. They procured a chair for Seth so he wouldn't be standing that long, and he sat there. Baylee stayed by her mother, but then she asked to sit in Seth's lap, and he let her sit on his good leg. He stroked her hair as the minister said some prayers and then "Taps" was played in honor of Brian. A gun salute was done also and then the casket was lowered into the ground with the American flag draped over it. A replica flag was presented to Brittany and Baylee in honor of their husband and father's service.

Seth set Baylee down so she could join her mother again even though she didn't want to go back. The men followed them to a building where a reception was being held with food. Baylee begged for Roman, Seth, and Dean to sit with her, and Brittany allowed it. Despite her sad demeanor, Baylee chatted freely to them about her favorite Shield moments and how she knew her friends would be jealous of her.

After the dinner was over Roman, Dean, and Seth said goodbye to Baylee and promised to keep in touch. She thanked them and watched as they got into their rental car and drove to the hotel they'd be staying at for the night. Seth felt a bit antsy in the car as he thought over his idea. He knew it probably wasn't the best idea, but he couldn't help how it nagged at him. Even when he was asleep, he had dreamed that The Shield had gotten back together. If that wasn't a sign of what should be, he didn't know what was.

When they arrived at the hotel, Roman sat on the bed and stared at Seth. "Seth, there's something on your mind," he noted.

"How do you know that?" Seth asked him.

"I can just tell," answered Roman. "You're not yourself. What's going on?"

Seth took a deep breath. "Well, I have an idea," he began. "I now it may sound like a stupid idea, but I want you guys to hear me out, okay?"

"What's on your mind, little brother?" Dean asked.

"You know we'll listen to whatever you have to say," Roman reassured him.

Seth looked at his two brothers and knew they were sincere. They would hear him out no matter how ludicrous the idea seemed. "I want to reunite The Shield," he said.

A/N: And I'm going to leave the chapter there. Wow! I can't believe this was sixteen pages long! I certainly didn't plan for it to be that long, but it happened. So, I know I left it on a cliffhanger, but that was the best place to end it. What are Roman and Dean going to think of Seth's idea? What will Creative think? And how will this all come about in the end? Well, you'll just have to read on to find out. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


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